Of Ice and Men
by antiquis scriba
Summary: "Pain," The figure spoke, running his finger down Anna's cheek. Where he touched her there was an explosion of intense agony. "Pain works on so many levels," the man continued. "There is physical pain, psychological pain, and my favorite, existential pain." Images of her sister flooded her mind. "What would you be without her?" He asked. Anna strained against her chains "Elsa..."
1. Chapter 1: Reflections

**Well everyone; I'm back with a new tale to tell.**** Sorry that it has been so long since my last upload but a, well, let's just say a friend of mine has been going through some trouble, and I had some other things to take care of that took longer than expected. But it has given me quite a bit to write about...**

**I will be updating this story every Saturday so keep your eyes open for new chapters every week.**

**Note: ****Of Ice and Men picks up where Arendelle Attacked left off, adding some new characters and giving exposition on those we already know of. It isn't (repeat IS NOT) necessary to have read Arendelle Attacked before reading this story but it may add some context. **

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen.**

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Of Ice and Men

Chapter 1: Reflections

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Three wooden ships were sailing across the wide open ocean. Their white sails billowed as the wind drove them onward across the sea, sunlight glinting off of the waves. Deep blue water crashed against their thick wooden hulls and the smell of salt hung in the air. High above, three flags where waving in the wind, the crest of Weselton emblazoned upon them. They crossed the waves rapidly, moving swiftly, like aquatic predators, toward their prey.

The vessels were packed with soldiers and archers, battle hardened men ready to do what it took to aid their king. Among them were strange warriors no one had ever seen or heard from again. They stood on the middle ship, in the hold under the decks. Their feet were planted firmly on the wood and the stood, unmoving since the ships had started their journey, the only time someone saw them move was when they got something to eat or went to sleep, but while awake they simply stood, like statues, staring into the distance. The other soldiers spread rumors of these strange men. They had weapons unlike anything seen elsewhere; staves of silvery metal that could shatter swords and fired glowing blasts of magical fire that caused enemies to burn away. Some said they were controlled by a strange mage who was working with their king. Only a few people had seen the man and they told of a tall, hooded figure carrying a twisted stick that would occasionally glow.

There was much movement on the deck of the ship. Sailors where bustling about in a rush to keep the ship moving at top speed, tightening ropes, shifting crates, drinking. Shouts rang out for certain actions to be performed and occasionally the lookout would give an update on the position of the other two ships. Through all the commotion the sailors failed to notice two figures, on tall and one short, hooded in black robes. The two watched the sailors work, their expressions hidden in the shadows of their hood. The short one spoke, a smooth voice full of cunning. "I feel that we have learned all we can from these people, let us return. There is still a lot that needs to be completed before we are ready." The larger figure merely nodded under his hood before turning and following the small figure to a wooden door behind them. The small figure reached out and touched the door, as he did so a golden light began to spread around the door's edges. He paused, hand on the doorknob. "Something wrong?" asked the large figure in a deep gravelly voice that sounded like a talking bear. The small one replied simply "Nothing wrong, I am merely fascinated at what these Ways are able to accomplish." With that the small figure opened the door and they both stepped through into the golden light, vanishing as they passed the threshold. The door closed behind them, the light around it fading. All trace of their existence vanishing, none of the sailors would ever know they had been there.

The Duke of Weselton was ecstatic. His fleet was battle ready and traveling at top speed. Everything was proceeding according to _their_ plan. The Duke grinned; soon the witch would be made to pay for her hearsay, killed by the will of his gods. He looked out at the soldiers he had gathered, fierce warriors from the surrounding kingdoms. They had been expensive, knights, mercenaries, convicts, all of them skilled in hunting and defeating magic wielders. The witch of Arendelle wouldn't be able to stop him this time. Of course he didn't intend on paying them, he didn't even expect them to survive, merely distract the queen from his true plan. And they weren't the only pawns he was sending into battle, he had others. Warriors that could easily defeat the snow witch.

Sure the queen's magic was powerful, but with the warriors given to him by that strange hooded man, capturing her would be a simple endeavor. The Duke frowned; he hadn't trusted the man at first, everything about the stranger screamed magic. From his deep voice to the way he would simply appear, to that cursed twisted staff. But after talking to him, the Duke had come around. The man was right, there was good and evil magic in the world and it was his job to rid the world of the evil and allow the good to purge the darkness away.

He still recalled the day he first met the strange man. He was sitting at his desk, filling out another trade agreement to make up for the loss of their trade partners in Arendelle when he heard someone clear their throat in front of him. He looked up to see the strange man, just standing there with an evaluating look on his pale wrinkly face. The man looked like an old grandpa, and yet was able to seem both commanding and intimidating at the same time. Before the Duke even had a chance to call his guards the man spoke. His tone was polite but firm, with a subtle hint of condescension. The hooded figure spoke to him about the cursed snow queen, about how she was a threat to the natural order of things, about how she had to be removed to allow order to return to the world. The man knew of the Duke's hatred of the evil queen and had offered his assistance in ridding the world of that cursed witch.

The man kept his promise, the next morning he appeared in the Duke's courtyard with a small force of men in strange armor. They possessed incredible weapons that could destroy targets without touching them. The Duke couldn't hide his surprise when they demonstrated their power for him. They were quick.

Captain Takar smiled when the man called his name to demonstrate their power. He knew that to these simple people their weapons were like magic, defying the laws of nature simply by existing. He stepped forward and planted his staff in the ground, bowing before his master. He didn't understand why this charade was needed; they were easily capable of leveling the entire kingdom of Arendelle in one blow yet his master insisted on capturing the queen. He shook the thought away, he had long since learned that one does not question _their_ will, at least not if one's life was dear to them. His master placed a hand on his shoulder, jerking his thoughts back to the present. "_Rise Takar, and show this man the might…_" Takar smiled, he knew the speech inside and out; he had heard it countless times before. The demonstration was ingrained into his mind and his muscles. He stepped into the open field, ringed by archery targets. He picked up his staff, spinning it above his head for effect before aiming it at one of the targets to his left and firing a blind shot. A loud whoosh was heard as the staff discharged its built up energy, sending it into the target and blasting it into flaming splinters. The fragments of burning wood barely had time to hit the floor before Takar spun the staff to the left, disintegrating yet another target. He continued, moving smoothly from one position to the next like a dancer. His staff flashed in rhythm with his movements, destroying one target after another. One minute later he stopped, bringing his staff to rest beside him. He gazed out at the smoldering craters that marked where the targets once stood. Seventeen in less than a minute, he frowned; I'm getting slow, he thought to himself.

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Across the ocean, the queen of Arendelle was resting in her room. Well, technically you couldn't call it rest, as the queen's mind and body were both still very much active. Elsa's thoughts drifted once again to the strange visions she had been having lately. Visions of impossible feats, and improbable places. She saw friends that she had never met in her life, fought in battles beyond comprehension, and lived in a strange palace amongst the stars. Everything in these visions was strangely different from the real world. On the few occasions she was able to see herself in these dreams she was surprised at what she saw. It was her, there was no doubt about that, everything from the bright blue eyes to the silvery, blond hair was the same, but there were differences too. Her hair was long and flowing, not braided like she usually kept it. It fell down onto her shoulders. Her outfits where even stranger, they looked less like something worn by a queen and more like something... Elsa thought for a moment, they looked like something Kristoff would wear. Pants and shirts, with shoulder pads, not a skirt or dress in sight. Elsa had to admit that it looked a lot more comfortable than the things she was forced to wear as queen. She had even begun making some changes to her wardrobe to make it easier to move in her dresses.

She was still puzzled by the visions. They seemed to happen at random, with various objects and places suddenly triggering them, along with a massive headache that often left Elsa withering in pain. The headache didn't feel like those she usually got during the warm summer days, it was different, more painful. It felt as if her entire head was on fire, like every neuron was being overloaded by the images she saw.

Then there was her strange new ability to see things a few moments before they happened, Anna seemed to have it too. It was similar to the visions insofar as she would only be able to view certain events and neither she, nor Anna could, fully control them.

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They had gone to speak to the trolls of their new found abilities but the trolls refused to talk about the visions or their content in any meaningful way. She remembered how worried Pabbi had gotten when she first told him of her visions. He had seemed nervous, afraid even; of some group of beings he called the 'Old Ones'. Those who existed long before trolls or humans even were, and possessed great powers beyond imagining. He had told them how these 'Old Ones' came to the world when it was still barren and lifeless, how they used their great power to create the humans and, unknowingly, the trolls as well. One day the 'Old Ones' mysteriously vanished, leaving the humans and trolls behind. Pabbi said there where tales that some of these beings remained behind, roaming the earth for hundreds of years, searching for something. These people were said to possess powers that rivaled Elsa's; control over elements like ice, wind or lightning, as well as powers beyond mere elements. They had control over everything and anything. The elderly troll continued, telling stories of fantastic battles waged amongst the stars against enemies so powerful it was impossible for any troll or human to comprehend. He spoke of vast fleets of massive ships that sailed through the sky like ocean faring vessels do on water.

Elsa just had to know. "What about the strange hooded man that took Anna." she asked the elder troll. The queen could tell right away that Pabbi was uncomfortable with her inquiry. He closed his eyes for several minutes before finally speaking. "The man who took your sister most likely belongs to a very old and very powerful group of dark sages." He took a deep breath in, sighing as he let it back out, before continuing. "These sages travel from realm to realm searching for people to incorporate into their dark cult. They drain the powers of their followers, making themselves stronger." "What did they want in Arendelle?" Anna inquired, a nervous tone seeping into her voice. Pabbi sighed again, slowly turning to Elsa. "I fear that they are most likely after your power my queen. If they are able to drain your magic they will hold dominion over four of the six prime elements." "Prime elements?" Elsa had never heard of the prime elements before. Pabbi continued "The five prime elements are: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Metal, and Spirit. With a combination of any of these elements one would be able to create everything you see around you." The troll gestured across the green valley before continuing his tale "The Sages already control Fire and Metal, with your powers they could gain control over Water and Wind as well. The Fire melts your ice, forming Water. And" the troll added "you are able to control the ice as it rides on the wind, meaning that you hold influence over part of this element as well." Anna had many more questions "And what happens when these sages get control over all of the elements?" The troll merely shrugged in reply. "No one knows what happens if one group is able to control all of the elements."

Anna had sat there, drinking in the fantastic tales and wondrous fables, but Elsa was worried. The stories that Pabbi told matched so well with the visions she was experiencing. The rock troll seemed to notice her discomfort, "Do not worry my queen. These stories are merely legends, handed down from generation to generation, each time old knowledge is lost and new knowledge added, I highly doubt that these stories have any truth to them anymore." Elsa appreciated Pabbi's reassuring words, but she couldn't shake the feeling that some of the things he had told her were true.

The sun had already set below the horizon by the time that Elsa and Anna had said their farewells to the trolls and returned on their way to Arendelle.

* * *

Elsa got up from the window, massaging her forehead. The latest vision had greatly disturbed her. She had been fighting against strange creatures that were apparently able to drain the life out of their victims. She shuddered at the thought of facing those wretched things outside of her visions. Dispelling the images of the life sucking monsters from her mind she changed into sleeping attire and crawled beneath the covers trying to shake the visions from her mind. If her visions did indeed show her things that actually happened so very long ago then those creatures may still exist somewhere. She prayed to the stars that they did not.

Elsa lay awake for a few moments, thinking about how her near death had changed her before finally closing her eyes and drifting to sleep. Something inside her had been woken by the magic she felt on the North Mountain, something that had lain resting for longer than she could ever imagine. She knew that she had been changed by her experience on the north mountain. Little did she know by how much, and how far she still had to go. Or the immense darkness that had been drawn into her world by her snowy outburst over a year ago, a darkness that conspired to rip her world apart and devour it in flames.

Outside her window two figures in dark hoods stood and watched. "The man was right, she is progressing rapidly. Soon she will be in full control of her powers." The tall figure responded in a deep voice. "Now we only have to make sure she stays alive long enough to manage them." "What?" replied the short figure, a hint of annoyance sneaking into his voice "We have faced worse together, as long as _they_ don't get involved we can easily deal with things should they get out of hand." "True." Responded the larger figure, thinking back at all the times they had gotten themselves into dangerous situations. "As long as we stick to the plan we will have no trouble." The short one added. _The plan_, thought the large one, usually the reason we ended up in those dangerous situations.

The two figures watched the sleeping queen for a while before finally turning away from the balcony and walking into the night, the shadows quickly concealing their existence.

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**Hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Let me know if there is anything I could do to improve the tale.**

**P.S. If Pabbi's speech on the elements seems like a bit of a Frozen 'Ice vs. Fire' cliche, it is. I will reveal why in later chapters. For those who don't want an Ice vs. Fire story, hang in there, thats not what is going to happen here. **


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

**I know I said this would be coming out next Saturday but in honor of the Oscars, here it is.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains some pretty bad/gruesome stuff. Full use of the T rating here.**

**Now that I think about it this chapter isn't really the best fit for a celebration...**

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Of Ice and Men

Chapter 2: Awakening

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Elsa awoke from her sleep with a start. Yet another horrible nightmare coming to an end. The room around her was frozen, a sheet of frost was covering the walls and icicles were hanging down from the ceiling. The queen tried to shake the horrible images from her mind as she swung her legs out of bed. She paused a moment, her head in her hands, as she steadied herself against the bile that was rising up in her throat. "I never want to see that again" she thought to herself, attempting to purge the vile images from her mind. Her visions were like her ice powers, beautiful at times but horrifying when she needed them to be. She scoffed at the thought. No, there was a very important difference; she could control her ice powers, she had no control over these visions. Elsa was torn from her thoughts by a scream coming from down the hall. "Anna must have had the same vision." She thought out loud, then "I wish she wouldn't have had to see that." Elsa changed into her ice dress as she hurried down the hall to comfort her sister, leaving a small shower of snowflakes in her wake.

While she walked Elsa tried to recall the vision that she had experienced during the night. Slowly, the barrier in her mind began to dissolve and she could see them again. She pushed her mind harder, and the vision came flooding back.

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She was standing in a dark hallway; fog was obscuring her vision and forced her to put her hand on the wall to guide her. She quickly withdrew her hand when it brushed up against the wall. Elsa shivered; the wall wasn't made of stone or wood, but of some strange slimy substance that seemed almost alive. The queen squinted her eyes, looking at the wall; there seemed to be veins, pulsing underneath it. The veins gave off a reddish light that helped to illuminate the halls slightly. Eventually her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she began to feel her way forward, stumbling slightly as her food caught on several bizarre tube like structures running across the floor. They too seemed to be alive, pulsing as something ran through them.

She followed the corridor to the end, ignoring several offshoots, and eventually found herself in a large, open room. The room, much like the halls she had been walking through, seemed to be alive. Red veins pulsed behind thin orange membranes, like blood vessels beneath skin. A strange orange light streamed in through the roof, bathing the place in an eerie glow. Elsa gasped, in the middle of the room she saw her mother. Her hair was a mess and her dress was torn and bloody. Her mom looked at her, eyes full of fear. "Run, child. Do not let them take you." she managed to choke out before falling limp, hitting the floor with a thump. A hiss made Elsa jump in fear. She turned to look at the source of the sound and instantly wished she hadn't. One of the demons from her earlier visions had her father pinned to a wall. His hand wrapped firmly around the man's throat. The thing was horrifying to behold; its pale skin was covered in strange markings, and its eyes were evil and cunning. "You have challenged uss for the lasst time!" It hissed pulling back its lips to reveal a row of unnaturally sharp teeth. Elsa could hear the hatred in the demon's voice as it spoke. She winced as the creature tightened its grip on her father's throat, causing his breath to become raspy and quick. The demon raised her father up, sliding his body along the wall. There was a slight crackling sound, indicating that the beast's grip was crushing her father's windpipe. Elsa dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to keep herself from throwing up; the sight sent chills down her spine and she felt rooted to the floor. "Now, you die!" It spoke in a deep growl, its voice laced with menace. There was a quick snapping sound and her father's body fell limp. A squeak to her right was the only thing that alerted Elsa to her sister's presence. Unfortunately it also alerted the demon, which had dropped her father and was now moving toward the unfortunate siblings. Its yellowed eyes shone with a hungry gleam as it reached out its hand to grab them. Elsa tried to run but her legs seemed to have taken off already. She looked to her wide eyed sister and realized that they were probable going to die here. The creature got closer; Elsa could smell the stench of its foul breath even from here. It growled as it leapt forward, its hand ready to close around Anna's neck. Elsa moved, jumping into the path of the creature. She felt it's hand close around her throat, she felt her life draining away from her.

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Elsa's vision went black and all of a sudden she was back in her reality, standing in front of her sister's room. The door was closed and she reached forward to open it. She barely had time to open the door before Anna burst through, wrapping her arms around her sister and sobbing. Anna looked up, tears covering her eyes, she paused to dry wipe away her tears before turning to her older sister. "Can you make it stop? I don't want to have these visions anymore." Anna asked. Elsa could hear the emotions in her sister's voice, the last vision must have terrified her and Elsa couldn't blame her. Truth be told she was a little shaken herself. She moved forward, gently putting her arms around Anna and stroking her hair. "It's going to be ok. They're only dreams, they can't hurt you." Elsa tried to comfort her sister but Anna wasn't having any of it. "I know they can't hurt me, but I don't want to have to go through this anymore. I want to be able to go to sleep at night!" Elsa frowned, Anna was right; they couldn't go on like this. "Tell you what; when the sun is up we can go and talk to Pabbi again, maybe he will be willing to help us this time." Anna got up, nodding in agreement. "Ok." She said meekly. Elsa walked slowly to the door, her hand resting on the frame. "Try to get some more sleep until then." She said and started to leave. "Elsa?"

The snow queen paused.

"Yes Anna?"

"Could you maybe, umm, you know…"

Elsa turned around; she crossed her arms, looking at her sister. "Well?"

"CouldyoumaybespendthenightheresoIdon'tgetscared?" Anna blurted out, quickly averting her eyes and looking at the floor.

Elsa sighed. "Fine, but don't complain if it gets too cold." "I won't." Anna replied quickly, her mood already brightening. With that the sisters crawled under the big warm blankets and quickly fell asleep. The room illuminated by the gentle glow of the full moon.

As they slept, another vision fell across their minds. However, this one was not as terrifying as the first and they continued to sleep, thinking it to be but a dream.

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Sunlight streamed through the dense canopy of leaves, falling in patches on the ground. The trees around them grew to incredible heights, with vines and moss hanging down from their upper branches. The wind blew gently through the forest, carrying sounds of some far off creatures. Between the greens and browns Elsa spotted something that seemed out of place, something that wasn't right. She moved, adjusting her line of sight. There! Between the trees, was a flash of blue. It could be nothing, but Elsa had to be sure. She ran forward, dodging roots and fallen branches with ease. She hopped over a fallen tree and reached for a pouch on her hip, pulling something out. Elsa couldn't see, as she was looking ahead to make sure that she didn't run into anything or trip over a root, but she felt the cool, smooth touch of stone on her fingers as she pulled her hand out of the pouch. Elsa clutched the stone, feeling a surge of reassurance. She reached forward, holding the crystal up in front of her as she ran. Elsa was just about to take a closer look at the rock when…

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"Elsa! Elsa, wake up, the sun is shining! Let's go!"

Elsa awoke with a start. Great, she thought to herself, the _one_time Anna wakes up early. She looked out the window at the sun streaming through the breaks in the clouds. Almost like a forest, she thought, the dream slowly fading from her mind. Slowly she got up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. After a quick meal with Anna and Kristoff she set off for the Troll's valley. There was something she wanted to know.

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Out on the open ocean, the lookout scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of land. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but ocean. The ship was swaying gently in the oceans swell, and the stench of the sea breeze reached even up into the crow's nest. All of a sudden a small stretch of ocean seemed to become hazy. The change was slight; most people wouldn't have noticed it. But the lookout knew right away what this faint hazy patch meant. They were close.

"Land up ahead!" came the shout from the man atop the mast, and immediately the crew of the three ships sprang into action, preparing for when they would be making landfall. Soldiers sheathed their weapons with a metallic grinding sound, and archers began slinging their bows around their shoulders. The foreign warriors were the last to react, their delay made up for by the efficiency with which they prepared. Within a few seconds they had all collected below deck, staves in hand and helmets covering their heads and faces. The Duke heard the commotion coming from outside and rose quickly; he stepped out onto the swaying deck, strutting over to one of the soldiers. "What is going on here?" he demanded of the scruffy mercenary. "Aye, the lookout just spott'd land. We should be ther in a few." He replied in a strong accent before swiftly moving on to gather his crew. The Duke's excitement began to build. They had reached the shores of the kingdom of Arendelle without incident. Soon the queen will be removed and then order could be restored to the world. He returned to his cabin to finish plotting his eventual takeover of Arendelle.

Back on the deck of the ship, the men were getting ready to make landfall. They were eager to begin their mission and get their pay. The mercenaries gathered their weapons and walked over to the vessels wooden railing, lowering themselves into the rowboats that hung from the sides of the ship. The Duke felt the ship slow and looked up from his notes. He walked over to a viewport on the wall of his cabin, looking through it to observe the commotion happening on deck. He watched with glee as the soldiers entered into the rowboats and made their way to shore, knowing that the queen of Arendelle would soon fall. After a bit more plotting the Duke strode regally onto the surface of the ship, the cold air made him shiver slightly but he hid his discomfort well. The Duke strutted over to his royal rowboat, allowing himself to be slowly lowered into the icy spray below. His men rowed him across the churning waves, the boat rising and falling with each crest. After a few moments the crunch of rocks signaled their arrival on shore.

The Duke rose from his ship and looked around at the landing site he had chosen, a small gravel beach approximately a quarter mile away from Arendelle. Far enough that they wouldn't be spotted by wandering villagers or hunters, but not so far that the soldiers would be tired from a long march upon arriving at the kingdom. Despite these safety measures the warriors were restless. Men were going around; sharpening their swords and axes, checking their crossbows, or pacing the campsite all in an attempt to ward off the nervous energy building up inside them. The group of foreign warriors abstained from such fruitless endeavors, many of them were sitting off to the side of the campsite, they seemed to be meditating. The Duke found their constant meditating strange.

After a while the men had finished setting up the campsite. It wasn't much, simply a few tents in a semicircle around a campfire. The only tent with a bed in it was, naturally, the Duke's. The soldiers had to make due with sleeping on the rough, gravely beach. Soon the sun began to set below the horizon and the warriors returned to their resting areas. Within moments the campsite was silent aside from the occasional crackling of the dying embers of the campfire. The only light was the moon, as it illuminated the campsite. The guards that had been left awake failed to notice the two hooded figures standing on the hill overlooking their camp.

The first figure turned, speaking to the second one. "I count at least twenty five of them, possibly more, I can't tell from here." The second figure raised a strange object to its face. The object looked like a pair of long, tube like eyes or a pair of spyglasses fused together. After a few moments the figure spoke, still looking through the strange object. "Nine tents, about two to three people per tent, plus the various mercenaries sleeping around the camp I think we should assume around thirty well-armed men." The figure lowered the double spyglass reached into his cloak, pulling out a strange, silver object; it looked like a hammer, with a thick grip at one end and a narrow rod coming out at an angle, but the man was holding it wrong, the rod was facing away from him and he was holding the thick hitting part like a handle. He turned, pointing the rod at the campsite. "Should we try to lower that number?" He asked. "No. Remember, we are not supposed to interfere; there is no telling what effect such an action would have on this world's timeline." Came the response from the smaller figure. "Very well, we'll let the ice girl handle them." Replied the larger figure, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

The two figures watched the campsite for a few moments before once again turning and disappearing into the night.

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**I hope everyone is enjoying the tale so far.**

**Let me know if there is anything I could do to improve the story.**


	3. Chapter 3: War

**It's Saturday! And that means a new chapter for all of you wonderful readers.**

**Let me know how (or even if) you like the story so far.**

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Of Ice and Men

Chapter 3: Oh no, oh no. It's off to War we go!

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Sunlight shone across the small cove in which the tents where pitched, falling across the canvas pyramids and casting long shadows over the rough gravel beach. Waves gently splashed upon the shore, sinking into the porous stones before the next wave flooded it all again. Off in the distance the three vessels sat in the rolling waves, their masts rising majestically into the heavens. All around the mercenaries were waking from their slumber and preparing for the task ahead. The strange warriors were already up, stalking the campsite and keeping watch for potential spies. They seemed on edge, as if they felt the presence of something that did not belong. The warriors marched along the edge of the campsite and scouted the surrounding landscape but found nothing indicating the presence of their enemies. The mercenaries where not as worried, they hung around the campfire, eating, laughing, and telling stories from their pasts. "… and that," one of the men spoke in a Germanic accent, catching his breath between laughs, "that is how I lost my medical license." The end of his story was met by a chorus of raucous laughter.

After a hardy meal of what was supposed to be soup but ended up looking more like mud, the men gathered up their gear and began their long march to the kingdom. The warriors marched down the gravel path, shoes crunching on the rough rocks. Wind was rustling through the branches of the trees, wafting the scent of pine across the traveling figures. Leaves were gently falling from the trees, landing on the winding forest path before being crushed under the heavy boots of the soldiers. The mercenaries were nervous; they had heard stories of The Snow Queen and her might. The fact that the Duke had refused to accompany them on their raid did little to boost the warrior's morale.

They continued their march for several hours, the sun falling lower and lower in the sky until the bright blue had been replaced by an orange blaze that made it seem as if the sky where on fire. And still the group marched, the mercenaries in front, rowdy, and mismatched, without order or discipline, the warriors behind them displaying the perfect opposite, with their polished armor and glistening staves they were the perfect image of order and discipline.

Soon they had reached a small patch of forest not too far from the kingdoms main gates Here the group gathered, standing in the forest surrounding Arendelle, the men conversed in hushed tones to avoid being overheard. The shadows helped conceal them as they observed the gate to the city. The men were watching the movements of the guards, the comings and goings of the townsfolk, and most importantly when the guards would change watch. One of the men moved forward, talking to the others. "All right ladies." He barked in a gruff voice "This is it, do or die, no guts no glory, there's no turning back now!" "It's all downhill from here." remarked a skinny young man with a strange accent, nestling his crossbow in his arms as he reclined against a tree. The first man turned to him "Silence, maggot!" He shouted before continuing with his speech "Everybody ready?!" he asked, his query responded to by a chorus of agreement. "Right then, Let's Move it!" Quickly the mercenaries departed, scattering apart to take out each one of their targets. They moved quickly and silently, attempting to avoid detection. One by one they reached their prey, and one by one the palace guards fell to the floor, the life leaving their bodies. With the castles method of communication disrupted the mysterious warriors rose from their positions and began to march out into the courtyard.

* * *

Nathaniel, his friends all called him Nate, had been part of the king's, now the queen's, royal guard for almost 14 years now. Selected by the last king of Arendelle himself he felt honored to serve under his daughter, well not directly under her, more like under the people who were under her. Despite Nate's respect for the former king, he had to admit that his daughter was already as kind and competent a leader as he had been, no offence. Nate didn't particularly like his post as guard of the gate as it required him to stand for long hours without rest, but at least he didn't have to risk his neck fighting enemy soldiers. He nodded to a passing couple, returning, most likely, with some fresh bought produce from the market. Although who knew how long that would last now that Arendelle had cut off trade with Weselton. He looked away from the nice puffy cloud at which he had been staring when he heard screams coming from the town. I wonder what is going on, he thought as several people rushed past him. He squinted his eyes to try and catch a glimpse of what was happening in the distance, between the running crowds he saw a group of masked men in armor. Invaders, he thought to himself. It seems our kingdom is being attacked already. He took a couple of steps forward, raising his sword to attack and stopped, staggering as a blast of energy caught him square in the chest. "Oh shh…" was all he managed to get out before another blast struck him in the face and he collapsed on the cold, hard cobblestone, his life bleeding away. His friend managed to get his sword out of its sheath and let out a battle cry before he too was struck down by several blasts, causing his body to be pushed back against the gateway they had been tasked to protect. Screams where now ringing out across the kingdom as the townspeople fled from the ruthless invaders, while guards tried in vain to halt the attackers march.

The warriors moved from their hiding place and began to march forward, making no effort to hide themselves. Hard rubber hit smooth stone as the sound of their footsteps echoed across the castle grounds. They walked in a group, staves held forward to strike down anyone foolish enough to stand against them. The guards that had not been taken out by the mercenaries now attacked the group of warriors and were swiftly mowed down by blast after blast of pure energy. The attackers made no distinction between soldier or civilian, sending energy bursts into markets stalls and family homes. Flames ignited from the wood, sending pillars of smoke into the air. Within moments large sections of the town where set ablaze, the light of the fire illuminating the warrior's armor, making it appear to glow with power. The sounds of their heavy footsteps merged with the cries and pleas of the villagers. A mother and her two children ran from a burning house, hoping to seek refuge from the flames in a nearby blacksmith's house, as they ran across the cobble road one of the warriors noticed them out of the corner of his eye. The man turned, aiming his staff at the running trio. Three flashes emanated from the tip of his weapon, and three bodies hit the cobble floor, holes burnt into their clothing to mark the point where the energy had struck them. The warrior simply turned away to continue firing on the house they had been trying to seek refuge in, burning it to the ground.

At the castle gate the remaining guards were trying desperately to hold off the attackers, swordsman rushed forward and archers were firing arrows into the crowd of enemies. With their backs to the wall the warriors of Arendelle fought valiantly until they too were cut down, leaving nothing but smoking corpses. Within minutes of revealing their presence, the warriors had succeeded in driving the kingdom of Arendelle to its knees, its people hiding behind the thick walls and sturdy doors of their castle. "It's okay!" One of the guards shouted, attempting to reassure the frighten people, "They won't be able to break through the gate!" He barely finished his sentence when the door fell with a mighty crash, smoke spewing from its hinges. The invaders quickly flooded into the courtyard, forcing the crowd ahead of them with their weapons. Anyone who tried to flee was hit from behind by a burst of energy and fell to the ground, left to die on the cold cobble streets.

The townsfolk where huddled in the middle of the castle courtyard; they were frightened, shivering and whispering in fear of the ruthless attackers. The strange warriors gathered up ten of the people from the crowd, pulling them from their families and loved ones. They dragged them across the courtyard before lining them up against a wall. One of the men stepped forward. "Queen of Arendelle, show yourself or we will be forced to execute your people." He shouted at the balcony above that led to the queen's waiting room. An evil grin spreading across his features as he saw the panic stricken face of the queen appear in the window above.

* * *

**Things are ramping up. As always the next chapter will be out on Saturday.**

**Let me know if there is anything I could do to improve the story and a great big Thank You to everyone who has favorited and followed the story.**

**P.S. Some of you may have noticed the behavior of the Mercenaries is rather familiar. You would be right, I based some of them off of characters from TeamFortress2 and as such I should include this as well:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TeamFortress2 or its characters, Valve does.**

**Note: This is not a crossover. The mercenaries are not going to be a big part of the story. (You probably won't even see or hear from them in the next few chapters.**


	4. Chapter 4: Snowfall

**Well, it's Saturday so that means: A New Chapter!****  
**

**Hope you all enjoy the upcoming shenanigans.**

* * *

Of Ice and Men

Chapter 4: Snowfall

* * *

The shouts and screams from outside caused Elsa to look up from the trade agreement that she had spent the past half hour working over. She got up swiftly, hurrying over to the shut window that overlooked the courtyard. In her haste she caused several pieces of paper to blow off of her desk, spiraling slowly onto the floor. Upon reaching the window the queen wrenched it open, allowing a small gust of wind to blow through the room, dislodging yet more papers and sending them to join their brethren on the floor.

The queen saw several men clad in metal and leather armor herding the townsfolk into the courtyard by the ends of their weapons. Their faces where obscured by faceguards that covered their mouth, leaving only their eyes showing. One of the men stepped forward, removing his face protection before speaking. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, we have come to punish you for opposing the will of your gods. Come with us peacefully and none shall be harmed. Oppose us again" the man paused, gesturing to the townsfolk cowering on the floor behind him. "and they will die." Elsa stepped forward onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard. "You are mistaken soldier. If you do not leave my kingdom be, it will be you that shall die!"

The warriors raced forward, their weapons pointed directly at her, steeled looks in their eyes. They were used to killing; it was merely an action to them, a job, nothing more. They had no mercy, no sympathy, only hatred and fear. Elsa felt pity for them, they were sent here to capture the snow queen, but she was now so much more. Yet they were still unaware, their weapons pointed at her back, ordering her to drop to the floor. Elsa let out a slight laugh; they actually thought they had the situation under control. She felt her magic rise inside of her, enhanced by her newfound abilities. She wouldns hand made contact with the ice, half of the magic went down, toward the base of the staff. Upon reaching the end it died out with a fizzle, leaving a perfectly smooth base. The other half of the magical wave traveled upward, toward the tip and the icy snowflake. The magic followed the ice, spiraling up and leaving the strange metal in its wake. When it reached the tip of the staff the magic converged, pouring back into the snowflake shape and changing it. Instead of a solid white the snowflake began to glow, a bright blue light pouring out from its center. The ice itself morphed into a strange crystal like substance that seemed to radiate out energy.

Once the magic had finished reforming the ice, Elsa slammed the staff down into the floor, the ground around the base of the staff freezing and sending icy spikes radially outward. As she did so she allowed her shield to fall. The enemy soldiers raised their own weapons, aiming them at the snow queen. She picked the staff up again, raising it above her head and spinning it to allow the magic to form a disc of ice fragments, almost like a halo above her head. She opened her mind, allowing her spirit to flow through the staff and into the ice around her. Power surged through her body like never before. It was an incredible feeling; as if she was focusing on each individual crystal but able to still view and control all the others. It was as if she had been blind up until now, and had only now been able to see. Using her heightened senses she dodged to the side just as one of the soldiers fired a blast at her head. She moved just in time, feeling the heat of the weapons palm had him clutching his chest in pain, trying in vain to stop the ice spreading slowly, painfully across his body.

Elsa continued, moving swiftly yet gracefully in between the soldiers. The snow flurried about her and her staff moved like a blur, hitting and twirling, blocking and swiping. Soldiers screamed and fell, various body parts frozen upon contact with the queen blocks, continuing as if nothing had been in its way. The queen was active as well, she dodged and weaved, somersaulting over a guards head and stabbing him in the back with her staff. She succeeded in avoiding every blast the warriors leveled at her and hitting back with magical blasts of her own.

She struck quickly, bringing her staff up in between the legs of one of the warriors before spinning around and stabbing another in the chest with the pointed end of the weapon. The warrior had barely fallen to the floor by the time Elsa had moved on to the next group of soldiers. One of the men charged at her, swinging his weapon down toward her head in a desperate close quarters attack. The queen placed both hands on the staff, raising it above her head to shield herself from the blow. Metal struck ice with a sharp clang and the soldier gasped as his weapon shattered upon touching Elsat spare him a second glance, sidestepping the cowering warrior and dispatching his buddies with a single, swift movement.

Within moments all the warriors but one had been dispatched. The remaining soldier had backed into a corner and was firing his weapon desperately at the snow queen. In the blink of an eye she was standing before him, staff in hand. And she did not look happy.

Elsa disarmed the warrior in one smooth motion, bringing her staff up under his chin. She walked forward until the man was forced against the courtyard wall. "Who sent you and why?" the snow queen hissed between clenched teeth. Good thing she had learned to control her powers even when she was angry. The man simply smirked "Our gods do not need to explain themselves to the likes of you." he spat in reply. "Fine" Elsa retorted, before swiftly punching the man in the head and knocking him unconscious. She turned to the guards just now rushing into the courtyard "Make sure he wakes up in a cell." She ordered to the nearest guard who nodded in response before hoisting the unconscious man over his shoulder and dragging him down to the dungeons.

The rolling sound of thunder drew Elsas grip on the staff tightened, she felt something was wrong.

Then everything froze.

A deep voice rolled over the still, lifeless landscape. Despite its smooth tone, he voice had a strong hint of malevolence behind it

Immediately everything went back to the way it was only minutes ago. Satisfied with its work, the dark clouds retreated until the sky was clear again. Below in the kingdom of Arendelle events repeated themselves, albeit with a different ending.

The shouts and screams from outside caused Elsa to look up from the trade agreement that she had spent the past half hour working over. She got up swiftly, hurrying over to the shut window that overlooked the courtyard. In her haste she caused several pieces of paper to blow off of her desk, spiraling slowly onto the floor. Upon reaching the window the queen wrenched it open, allowing a small gust of wind to blow through the room, dislodging yet more papers and sending them to join their brethren on the floor.

The queen saw several men clad in leather and metal armor herding the townsfolk into the courtyard by the ends of their weapons. Their faces where obscured by faceguards that covered their mouth, leaving only their eyes showing. One of the men stepped forward, removing his face protection before speaking. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, we have come to punish you for opposing the will of your gods. Come with us peacefully and none shall be harmed. Oppose us again" the man paused, gesturing to the townsfolk cowering on the floor behind him. "and they will die." Elsa stepped forward onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard. "You are mistaken soldier. If you do not leave my kingdom be, it will be you that shall die!"

The warriors raced forward, their weapons pointed directly at her, steeled looks in their eyes. They were used to killing; it was merely an action to them, a job, nothing more. They had no mercy, no sympathy, only hatred and fear. Elsa felt pity for them, they were sent here to capture the snow queen, but she was now so much more. Yet they were still unaware, their weapons pointed at her back, ordering her to drop to the floor. Elsa let out a slight laugh; they actually thought they had the situation under control. She felt her magic rise inside of her, enhanced by her newfound abilities. She wouldn't mind showing them how wrong they were.

The grin on her face vanished as a bolt of energy hit her in the shoulder, sending her to the ground. She tried to lash out with her ice magic but one of the warriors was too quick. He pulled out a strange device, placing it on the queen's wrist. Elsa immediately felt her energy drain, her eyelids felt heavy and her vision darkened. She could hear one of the warriors speaking, the sound seeming to come from the bottom of a deep well. "We have captured the target. Returning to base camp. Should we leave some men here to-" Elsa never got to hear the end of his sentence, for at that moment she passed into unconsciousness. In the darkness of her own mind she heard a voice, a voice like distant thunder.

"_Now who said only the heroes get a deus ex machina?_"


	5. Chapter 5: Fallen Kingdom

**Greetings everyone, sorry that this upload is a bit later than usual but I had to rewrite most of the chapter due to some big changes coming in a later chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Of Ice and Men

Chapter 5: Fallen Kingdom

* * *

Two of the warriors stepped around the Snow Queen's limp body, marching toward the palace gates. Before they entered one of the soldiers turned to his men with a sweeping gesture. "Kill them all." He ordered before disappearing inside, a smile growing at the anguished screams of the villagers ringing down the halls. The remaining warriors turned to the huddled group of townsfolk and lowered their staves. One by one, bursts of energy flew into the crowds and people fell to the floor. The soldiers continued, firing indiscriminately at men, women, and children alike. Their cries of pain and desperation ringing out across the countryside.

The door burst off its hinges as acrid smoke drifted into the room. Two of her guards charged forward, swords raised against the attacker. The warrior sidestepped the first man, stabbing the guard in the back with his staff as he ducked to avoid the second guards swing. He rolled across the floor, coming to a rest with his back to the guard. Quickly and without looking he turned his staff behind him and fired a single shot, letting out a small chuckle as the guard's now lifeless body hit the floor with a soft thud.

He looked around the room to find the young princess he had been sent to capture running. Not away from him, but toward him. The warrior was puzzled for a moment before he noticed the rather large and expensive looking vase she held above her head. Anna swung hard just as the warrior rolled to the side, the vase shattering upon the floor and sending fragments flying in all directions. The warrior was on his feet quickly, his hands closing around Anna's throat. Her hands where trying desperately to keep the man from snapping her neck as her feet kicked out, impacting on the man's armor. Slowly Anna's vision faded and her world was thrown into darkness. "Nighty night little princess." The warrior sneered. He turned to his partner, a bemused smile playing across his face. "We have the princess." The other merely nodded in agreement before turning back down the corridor, shooting anyone foolish enough to obstruct their path.

Two of the guards that had been shooting into the crowd of people suddenly broke of, marching over to the spot where Elsa now lay. "The commander wants us to bring the witch too." he commented, "I think it would be better just to kill her." his partner replied, aiming his staff at the back of Elsa's head. "Not so tough now are ya?!" He jeered as his comrade began to laugh.

The two hooded figures stood on the castle's ramparts, cloaks fluttering gently in the wind as they watched the carnage below. The shorter figure spoke quietly, a hint of amusement playing across its voice.

"_She_ was right, our help is indeed required here. Let's stop this massacre before somebody gets hurt."

The tall figure merely let out a low sound that sounded like a growl. The figures stood motionless for a moment before the smaller one raised its hand to its hood and spoke into its palm.

"Ready when you are Captain. Do you have the Queen in sight?"

The figure stood for a few moments, as if listening to a person only it could hear, before finally turning to the larger figure. Light fell across it's hood, revealing a thin pale smile. It spoke.

"Now."

The large figure moved swiftly, getting low to minimize its frontal area. From the folds of its clothing it pulled a strange metal object, pointed it at one of the soldiers in the courtyard, and made the object explode.

The guards standing over the Snow Queen briefly looked up as an explosion rang out across the courtyard. One of the guards fell limp, a trickle of crimson liquid flowing from the wound on his chest. The others moved quickly, searching the ramparts for the source of the noise. Another explosion rang out and another warrior fell, forcing the remaining troops to regroup. "Head for the door, take the Queen with you!" One of the men shouted, then stopped as he realized the queen was no longer where she had fallen just a moment before. His eyes grew wide with surprise. "What in the name of the-" his curse cut short as another explosion accompanied a stinging pain in his chest. The warrior looked down to see a red stain blossoming on his tunic before he dropped to the floor.

The warriors gathered in the center of the courtyard, firing blindly in the direction of the explosions. Their shots battered the walls of the castle, causing chunks of brick to fall from the pathways and crash onto the floor below. The small figure looked down at its hand and the strange light emanating from its palm. It moved to put a hand on the shoulder of the large figure. "She was able to get the Queen but the guards were able to capture the princess." It said softly. "Never a dull moment," growled the other figure before continuing to shoot its magic metal object.

The two warriors walked out into the middle of the battle, moving between their comrades who were still redecorating the castle walls with bolts of energy. One of the soldiers strode over to the arriving warriors. "Sir, the witch was able to escape." He shouted over the din of the battle. The commander glared at him before replying. "We have the princess at least, the Queen will follow. We will return to the ship, finish of those who still resist us." "Very well sir." The warrior replied shakily, he knew that they were being left to die for their inactions. A space was quickly cleared around the two warriors who had captured the princes as the remaining soldiers continued to attack their unseen enemy.

Suddenly a bright light surrounded the two warriors, growing brighter in intensity before abruptly disappearing, along with the soldiers and the princess.

The hooded figure stood, speaking quickly into its hand. "We have lost the princess, repeat the princess is with _them_ now."

* * *

"Elsa!" The shout rang through the empty halls, silent and devoid of life. Anna wanted to scream, to hide, to do anything to stop this horrid sight that would be forever ingrained in her mind.

Suddenly, she awoke, straining against the bonds which imprisoned her. After pulling on her shackles for a while Anna let her body relax, deciding to instead scan the surrounding room for the ten thousandth time. Dull grey, filth covered wall, big metal door, dull grey filth covered wall covered in different filth and back to the big metal door with the shadowy figure in front of it, then on to the...

Wait a second.

Anna looked back at the metal door. There was now a man standing in front of the door. Anna was puzzled; he wasn't there before, and he hadn't come in, so where did he come from? "I have my Ways" the man spoke in a deep rolling voice that sounded like distant thunder. Anna was surprised, how did he know what I was thinking? She thought to herself, realizing shortly thereafter that he probably knew that she had thought that too. The thought of this man reading her mind made Anna's head hurt so she stopped trying to think of how he might know what she was thinking and instead proceeded fix her eyes upon the shadowy man, but the more she tried to define his features the deeper the shadows surrounding him seemed to get. They hung around his form like a fog made of darkness.

Anna glared at the man "What do you want?" she growled her voice low and laced with menace. "Me?" the man asked with an air of mock confusion. The man drew closer until Anna could feel the cold air coming off of him, She shivered as he drew his mouth right up to the side of her head. "I merely want you to suffer, and die." he hissed into her ear. Anna swung her arm out to hit him but the man was suddenly out of reach.

The man stepped back, laughing softly as he did so. Anna growled at him "You will not break me you freak!" She shouted as she lunged forward, her movement brought to a sudden stop by the chains around her wrists. "Oh don't worry, I am not some crude beast that would simply murder a sweet innocent lady such as yourself." The man turned, he seemed to look through the cell wall at something only he could see. "No, why waste such a perfectly good body..." He spun around, grabbing the top of Anna's head and forcing it back. "When it's so much simpler just to rework the mind." The man began to laugh

A fresh wave of pain spread through Anna's body. As she struggled to stay conscious she heard the man begin to laugh. His taunts growing fainter as her grip on reality slipped away.

But instead of the accustomed darkness that normally accompanied a loss of consciousness, Anna's eyes where blinded by light. A voice rang out from everywhere at once, soft and consoling. "Don't fear, my child, all will be well." Anna tried to see where the voice was coming from but everywhere there was this bright piercing light, driving away the shadows. In the distance she could hear two people talking.

"_You will not do this to the child; I will not allow her to be put through this."_

_"And who are you to stop me, hmm?"_

_"I am warning you Shade, I will destroy him."_

_"Very well, let us allow them decide, shall we?"_

_"I will agree to that."_

_"However, my agents are still allowed to interrogate her."_

_"Then her sister will find out where she is being kept"_

_"Very well then; if I can break her before her sister can rescue her, she will be mine, if not, you can keep her."_

The voices where still for a moment as if pausing to reflect, then:

_"Deal."_

Anna's world was once again overtaken by darkness, yet this time it was a normal darkness, nothing strange or magical about it, simply unconsciousness. She was finally at rest.

* * *

Back in her kingdom, Queen Elsa awoke with a start. Her hair and face was slicked in sweat and she was panting as if she had just run a marathon. The haunting vision of her sister's torture was still playing across her mind. After steadying herself and waiting for her pounding heartbeat to calm. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was fighting the attackers and being overpowered. No, wait, there was something else. Elsa dug deep into her memories, magic, blue energy, something had healed her and her people. Her people! As she caught her breath, she looked around the makeshift hospital at the fallen citizens of Arendelle. So many had died today and she had been powerless to stop them. Angry at herself for allowing this to happen she threw her covers off of her and stormed off to find her head guard, forming her icy gown around her as she walked. While she walked, Elsa reflected on the events of the past year, and one night in particular, The night she should have died. This feels just like it did back then, she thought to herself as she walked down the empty hall. She paused at the door leading into the throne room. No, there would be a difference this time, this time everybody lives.

Elsa flung open the door and marched into the library.

In the sky above a new star flashed into existence; burning brightly above the North Mountain before once again fading into the background.

* * *

**Let me know what you think of the story so far, critique is always welcome.**

**P.S. That little incontinuity in the last section is not a mistake, you will see why soon.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Ways We Take

**Sorry, I know it's been a while, but this is a very important part of the story and I wanted to take a bit of extra time to get it just right.  
I hope that you all are enjoying the story so far.**

**P.S. After a kind tip from one of my readers on another story I decided to make some changes to the layout so the conversations are easier to follow. Please let me know what you think of the change.**

* * *

Of Ice and Men

Chapter 6: The Ways We Take

* * *

Anna awoke with a start, her eyes wildly darting around the prison cell before she was able to calm herself.  
"Well I'm still here." She muttered after a moment of silence. "What now?"  
A deep, smooth voice drifted from the shadows to answer her question.  
"Now, dear princessss we will escape."

Anna jerked forward slightly in surprise at the sudden arrival of the voice.  
"So, you're going to be the next slimy creep who wants to torture me huh?" She spat out angrily, her face and arms still sore from the last round of beatings.  
The princess turned slowly to face her new attacker and screamed.

Sitting off in the corner of the cell was a giant, shadowy snake, its body curled up beneath its giant head. Even in its curled position the snake was easily several meters wide, and could easily hide a man in its massive coils.  
"Don't fear princessss, I am a friend, I was sssent here to help you essscape your prison." The snake reassured her, its voice smooth and soft.  
Anna raised her eyebrow in suspicion at the sudden arrival of this "friend".  
"Okay? Why would you want to help me?"  
"Don't you see?" the snake replied "You have been left here, all alone, abandoned by your friends and family to this rotten cell."  
"Elsa will come for me, I know she will!" Anna shouted back, unwilling to believe what she was being told.  
"Oh really?" The snake countered sarcastically "The same sssister that locked you out of her life for yearsss. The one who'ssss powers you expossssed, forcing her to flee her own kingdom?"  
Anna looked to the floor, tears welling in her eyes as the snake moved silently around her, its shadowy scales moving noiselessly across the stained and grubby tiles on the floor.  
"But she forgave me for that, we're a family now." Anna countered weakly, her resolve slowly being eaten away.  
"Yessss, but that wasss befor ssshe found out that by revealing her powersss to the world you have drawn assassinssss to her like mothsss to a flame. Do you truly believe she has enjoyed fighting for her life every ssssecond of every day? And where wasss she when the guards captured you and brought you here hmm?"  
The princess slowly raised her head to look at the snake, its face filled with empathy for her plight.  
"Your sssister left you here to rot, so ssshe could get her life back."  
Anna, spoke but a single word before she collapsed to her knees and began to sob.  
"No."

The shadowy serpent moved away from the now crying princess, a slow smile forming on its lipless mouth.  
"Verry well then, dear princesss." It finished softly, almost caringly, "Remember, I will be ready to aid you onccce you decide you are ready to leave this rotten place." With that the snake vanished into a cloud of dark smoke, leaving nothing behind.

As the moon rose over the distant horizon the sounds of the howling wolves mixed with the sobs of the princess, forming a symphony of despair on which dark beings feasted with glee.

After a while, as the moon hung low in the sky and the red rays of the morning sun where just beginning to peek across the horizon, the snake returned.  
"Do you ssstill wisssh to remain here princessss?" It asked, softly.  
Slowly, Anna raised her head, her eyes were still red from her sobbing, but the tears had long since dried up. Her face was set, and defiant.  
"Just get me out of here." She growled back, her face dirty and tired looking from her time within the dungeon.  
Her hair was tangled and unkempt, falling into her face and covering her eyes, and her once pristine dress was worn and stained.  
"As you wisssh, dear princesss." the snake joyfully exclaimed before slithering through the nearby wall which crumbled into dust upon contact with its dark and shadowy scales.  
"What about my chains?" Anna was about to ask, pulling on her cuff's for added emphasis only to find that they were unlocked and she could easily remove her hands from them.  
"Hmm?" The snake asked, turning back toward her.  
"Nevermind" Anna shot back throwing the cuffs to the floor with a clatter, "Let's just get away from here."

* * *

The strange pair walked for hours through the dense forest surrounding Anna's former prison, the warm rays of the summer sun blocked out by the towering evergreens between which they walked. The scent of pine wafted down from the towering trees around them. To pass the time they would talk about various things, mostly about each others past. Apparently the Snake, which had decreased in size and was now only around one meter long, was on the run from two strangers who had chased it all the way to a nearby place before it was able to get away. Anna told the Snake about her life in Arendelle, about the death of her parents, about Hans, about Olaf, she even talked a bit about Kristoff, but the Snake seemed most interested when Anna told him about Elsa, and about how she had shut Anna out for over fourteen years.  
"And after all that time that ssshe ssshut you out you still risssked your life to sssave her? Sssshe musst have been very happy to see that you would go through ssso much trouble to be with her." The snake commented.  
Suddenly Anna stopped, averting her eyes and staring down at the decomposing foliage resting upon the forest floor. Her mind drifted back to the time when she first walked up the stairs of Elsa's ice castle and the encounter that followed.  
"Yeah..." She responded, her voice distant and slightly shaky. "She was real happy to see me."  
The snake's smile spread slightly.  
"Excelent..."

Abruptly the Snake's demeanor changed, its head reared up as it looked around wildly. Eventually the serpent calmed down.  
"I think we should ressst here." It hissed quietly, "We ssstill have a long journey ahead of usss."  
"Fine." Came Anna's disinterested reply.  
She sat down, resting her head on a rock. The mossy growth on the boulder helped to give some cushioning, but it was still a far cry away from the royal bed she was accustomed to. The snake began to curl itself around where Anna slept, using it's massive, shadowy form to shield her from view. As Anna drifted off to sleep she heard the Snake's gentle voice.  
"Sleep, child. And remember."

The Snake watched as Anna slowly drifted of to sleep, a thin smile forming on his lips.  
"Sleep, child." It spoke softly, blowing a cloud of dark smokey substance over Anna's sleeping form. "And remember."  
Upon touching Anna's face the smokey substance immediately evaporated as the slumbering princess began to shiver from the terrible nightmares that now clouded her mind.  
Dreams of her sister's rejection, of her self-imposed isolation, and all the while a single thought permeated Anna's mind, a thought that had not been there before.  
"Why does Elsa hate me?"

Between the howling of the wind and the shouts of figures obscured by the whirling snow, Anna heard a voice, soft and soothing.  
"Focus, princess Anna, follow the dreams to their source. Use your imagination as a sanctuary from the pain." The voice advised her.  
Anna grudgingly complied, pushing aside the murky nightmares with her mind, one after another the layers lifted, like fog on a cold morning, until Anna could see clearly. She was standing alone in a snowy field, in front of her were two massive pillars of ice, delicate flowers of frozen crystal adorned the intricate structure, curved slightly inward to form an archway. She walked through the archway, expecting something to happen, but all stayed as it was. In the distance, she spotted something; it was too far away to make out what it was. Anna decided to walk toward it, there wasn't anything else around to look at anyways. As she walked Anna noticed that everything else seemed to have begun to fade away, the colors around her had become blurry and matted, as if she was looking through a badly polished lens. The further she walked the more pronounced the blurring became until everything around her seemed to have melted together into a solid, swirling mess of colors. When she looked ahead she found herself standing in front of an old wooden door like the one leading to Elsa's childhood room. She slowly reached forward, resting her palm on the cool wood for a moment, allowing the painful memories of her childhood to flow over her once again. Anna curled her hand into a fist and knocked gently on the door.

Once.

Twice.

Three times and the door creaked open slightly. Anna stepped back for a moment as she realized fully the situation she was in. "This is nuts." She said to herself since there was really no one there to talk to. After a moment she finally decided that she was either dreaming or insane and either way there was nothing else for her to do here aside from opening this stupid imaginary door. So she reached forward, grasping the handle and pushing forward. The door moved noiselessly and effortlessly, gliding open as if it was floating in air. A gust of warm air and the smell of parchment greeted her as the door continued to open. Beyond it's frame Anna could see nothing but swirling lights.

She opened the door all the way and stepped through it, arriving in a truly unusual place.

* * *

**I figure that I should probably explain this a bit before people start coming up with theories. Snake is not just a description for the OC, it is also his name. You will probably see more of Snake in my other stories.**

**Fair warning, the next chapter is going to get plenty weird.**


	7. Chapter 7: Welcome to the Library

**Sorry for the delay, but life is a huge time sink so I was not able to work on this chapter as much as I would have liked.**

**Alright, before we get started with this next chapter I have several things I want to clarify.  
****1: This chapter will be weird, not overly so, but still strange enough to seem out of place at first, don't worry things will return to "normal" upon leaving the Library. (Or will they?)  
2: See the note at the end of this chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Of Ice and Men

Chapter 7: Welcome to The Library

* * *

The glowing light of the portal surrounded her, calming and soothing Anna until suddenly the glow vanished, and the princess stepped out on the other side of the door.

Anna's mouth fell open at what she saw. Rows upon rows of shelves, reaching as high as the eye could see, eventually fading into darkness. Anna would have stood there all day had a cheery voice not forced her back into reality.  
"Hiya, judging by your expression you must be new here."  
Anna looked down to see a young girl, probably only in her early twenties or so, with reddish brown, curly, hair falling unkempt across her shoulders. Her clothes were in a truly shoddy state, patched and worn with several dark stains. On her head she wore a set of welding goggles that kept her hair out of her eyes, and around her waist was a worn leather belt with several odd looking items hanging from it. She sat cross-legged on the floor, reading from a book that seemed as old as the library around her. Anna briefly glanced the title page as the girl closed the dusty manuscript. "Type 52 Owner's Manual" As she smiled back at her Anna noticed that two of the girl's teeth seemed a little longer and pointier than normal. The girl got up and extended a slender hand toward the princess.  
"Nice to meet you." She said her smile growing slightly wider. That's when Anna noticed something else about the strange young lady. From the top of her curls poked a set of furry, pointy ears.  
"You... You have, ears. Cat ears." Anna managed to blurt out, her confusion growing.  
"Yup. Well, they're actually fox ears, but close enough." the girl replied cheerily before shaking Anna's hand, using the other to tug on the pointed ears poking up from her mess of hair.  
As the strange girl's hand touched her own Anna was surprised to find, instead of the warm, soft touch of skin, there was a hard, cold, metallic feeling. Anna jumped back, pulling her hand away and glancing down at the girl's outstretched arm. She suddenly noticed that most of the girl's lower arm seemed to have been replaced by a network of small metal rods and glowing crystals.  
"What's that?" Anna asked, slightly alarmed at the strange mechanical hand.  
The girl sheepishly scratched the back of her head, still grinning.  
"That would be what you would call, a long story. Good story mind ya, but loong." She answered, none to helpfully. "Let's just say its what I get for sticking my hand in places it _really _shouldn't be." She continued, laughing slightly as she wiggled her strange metal fingers in the air. "Anyway, if you need anything feel free to ask. The name's Fiona by the way, what's yours?"  
"Uh, my name is Anna." The young princess replied, backing away from the strange girl who watched her briefly before she sat back down and continued in her book.  
As she backed away from the girl she failed to notice a man, carrying a rather large stack of books coming her way. With a dull oomph, they collided, the man tumbling to the floor amidst a flurry of books.  
"Oh, sorry there, Didn't see ya. You must be new here eh?" The man apologized in a strong Canadian accent which was met with a groan of annoyance from the cat eared girl.  
"Flux! Stop it, that's racist." she exclaimed, obviously familiar with the man's crude sense of humor.  
"Oh come on Fio." The man replied, complaining much like a child would, his false accent quickly vanishing to be replaced by a strange collection of accents, none of which Anna was able to place. "I was only tryin to be friendly."  
The girl got up from her sitting place, and was now inches away from the stranger Anna had bumped into.  
"One," the she replied harshly, "You are never friendly unless you want something."  
The man made a face as if he had just been deeply offended, "Well I never" he replied pretending to sound hurt.  
"Two," the girl continued, not paying the man's comment any attention. "Don't you ever call me Fio." she said with a hiss, her eyes glinting with more hatred than such a small form should be able to contain.  
The man shrank back at the sudden change in Fiona's tone, swearing slightly under his breath, and even Anna was beginning to move back toward the door she had come through. After glaring at the man for a few moments she held out her arm.  
"C'mon you monkey." She said calmly, all trace of hostility vanishing.

Anna expected the man to take her arm, as she had seen couples around town do, and as such was quite surprised at what happened next. The man jumped towards the girl, but as soon as his feet left the ground his form began to get hazy, shrinking until it was only a quarter of its original size. The hazy _thing_ landed on Fiona's outstretched arm before resolving itself into the shape of a monkey-like being. A rather strange monkey at that, with four arms and greenish scales instead of fur, instead of the normal eyes one would expect a monkey to have this being had huge black eyes, almost like those of an insect.

The two strangers turned and walked down the rows of books, heading towards a more illuminated area of the library.  
Anna watched them go, their forms slowly fading until they became one with the library around them. The princess looked around. "This place was only going to get stranger." she thought to herself as she cautiously walked away from the spot where she had met these strange new people.

"Maybe I fell asleep on some poisoned barbs or something and now I'm hallucinating." She said out loud, continuing her train of thought as she walked down the rows upon rows of books. Anna stopped abruptly as a voice drifted from between the bookshelves, softly calling her name and speaking to her.  
"_Princess Anna, you have finally joined us. We welcome you to the Library._"  
Anna spun around, searching for the sound of the voice.  
"Hello?" She asked, a little loudly to make up for the fear she was currently experiencing. "Who's there?"  
"It is I, your guilty conscious. ooooh!" The voice continued. "I saw what you did."  
"Wait, what?" Anna was now thoroughly confused. "Who are you?"  
Anna turned around and was once again face to face with the strange fox-girl.  
"BOO!" She shouted causing Anna to nearly trip over herself in surprise.  
"What was that for?!" Anna shouted back after steadying herself on a nearby bookcase.  
"Well, you seemed lost, so I thought I might show you around. Whaddya say?" Fiona asked cheerfully.  
"Umm," Anna thought for a moment, could she really trust this stranger? After some deliberation Anna decided that she had no real option, if she wanted to find an exit to this place she would need a guide to help her.  
"Fine then, lead the way." She finally answered.  
"Okay, lets go!" Fiona replied, grabbing hold of Anna's arm and pulling her down the isle of bookcases. "This is gonna be awesome, just you wait and see."

Fiona dragged Anna down the hallway of books, towards the lightest part of the library.  
"First, we need to get you a card." She informed the princess as the where moving between the towering shelves. "Your card is really important, so don't you ever lose it, you got me? If somebody ever gets ahold of your card they will _own_ you, and thats not fun, believe me."  
Anna merely nodded in response, for she was too busy trying to keep up with Fiona to attempt to speak.  
They got to the main desk of the Library and Anna was shocked to see the strange creatures sitting behind the desk.  
"What are those things?" She asked in hushed tone as the creature took down her name on a little card, putting it into a slot on the desk.  
"Librarians." Fiona responded casually, seemingly unfazed by the strange beings that scuttled about before her. "Oh, and don't stare at them, its impolite."  
Anna quickly looked away, equal parts terrified and ashamed, yet despite the "librarians" horrifying appearance, she felt safe around them, they seemed peaceful and content.

After the librarian gave Anna her bronze library card she followed Fiona to a place the fox-girl called a "coffee shop" where the two ordered some hot chocolates to drink. Anna wanted to try the "coffee" stuff they where selling but Fiona insisted against it.  
"As hyper as you are, the last think you need is coffee." She had told Anna, much to the princesses dismay.  
After they got their drinks, the two found a nice quiet corner of the shop and sat down to talk about their pasts.  
"Soo..." Anna started. "About your arm?"  
Fiona looked up over her steaming cup.  
"You really don't want to know." She said matter of factly.  
"Oh come on, please." Anna pestered. She was truly curious about what this strange metal thing was doing on Fiona's arm.  
"Fine." The fox girl finally gave in, putting her ragged boots on the table and leaning back in her comfy chair. "But I guarantee your won't like it."

* * *

**Note: The place described within this chapter is known as The Wanderer's Library, I claim no ownership of the location and it is not my idea. However, the characters of Fiona and Flux are of my own creation and may arise again depending on how well people like them. **


	8. Chapter 8: Reunited

**Well I am finally back, sorry that it has been so long, but I had quite a lot of things to do.**

**I hope this is worth the wait though.**

**In this chapter Elsa and Anna are finally reunited, but things aren't all sunshine and snowflurries.**

* * *

Of Ice and Men

Chapter 8: Reunited

* * *

Anna doubled over, resting her hands on her head to keep herself from vomiting. She felt ill, as if a small part of her had curled up inside of her and died.

"That's horrible!" She finally managed to get out after several deep breaths.

Fiona didn't seem to mind, she just sat back in the comfy armchair taking another drink from her hot chocolate.

"That's life sister, sometimes it just sucks. And sometimes it's even worse. "

Anna was shocked at how unfazed Fiona seemed to be by what she had told her. She really didn't seem to care about the horrors she had been forced to live through, and there was something else too, something in the way she spoke of the events she had experienced, it seemed as if they had occurred a long time ago. Anna thought back to the story Fiona had told. She wasn't sure if she wanted to learn more, or throw up, her body decided on the latter, and the princess proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into a nearby waste paper basket.

"Whoah there sister! You okay?" Fiona asked, equal parts concerned and amused as she put her hand on Anna's shoulder. Anna looked up at fox-girl, her expression anything but bemused.

"No" she admitted while attempting to hold back another wave of nausea brought on by looking at Fiona's arm, and more specifically the mechanical replacement of her arm. "No, I don't think I am."

"Hey, don't feel to bad, you got further than most people have, and that's saying something." Fiona countered cheerfully.

"Whoopdy doo." Anna responded sarcastically, still trying to stave off her sickness.

Fiona twitched slightly, as if in response to something that wasn't there, the change was so slight Anna hadn't noticed it. The fox-girl stood, helping Anna to her feet.

"Well it's been a blast, but I really need to get going now." Fiona said.

"Yeah," Anna commented dryly, not really wanting to return to the troubles of the real world.

The two walked out of the coffee shop that sold all manner of delicious pastries, past the main desk where the blind creatures helped new visitors, and down the towering rows of books that reached up into the darkness, back to where Anna and Fiona had first met. They continued down the hallway of books until Anna looked up, and realized that their path was blocked. In front of them stood a woman, with long silvery hair. Her eyes looked directly at Anna and seemed to pierce her very soul, searching through her mind. Slowly the woman walked forward, until she was face to face with the young princess.

"_Your mind is clouded." _The lady stated, as simply as one would state the weather.

"Who are you?" Anna asked, growing uncomfortable by the strange lady's presence.

"_I provide resolution." _The lady responded.

Anna looked to Fiona, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What is this lady talking about?" She asked

"I think the author ran out of ideas and she's just a lazy plot device to end the story." Fiona responded thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

"What?" The answer had done little to help Anna, only serving to confuse her more.

"Its a figure of speech." Fiona clarified, waving her hand.

"Oh." Anna turned back to the strange lady. "I would still like to know who you are."

The lady turned, looking over Anna's shoulder. "_I think somebody wishes to speak with you._" She observed calmly, ignoring Anna's requests.

Anna turned around to see her sister standing in between the towering rows of books.

"Anna, " Elsa moved toward her sister, her voice filled with concern. "Thank goodness you're safe." she exclaimed as she drew Anna into an embrace.

"What do you want here?" Anna responded bitterly, breaking out of her sisters grasp and pushing her away.

Elsa pulled back, her eyes filled with hurt.

"Anna, what happened to you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Why!?" Anna snapped back, an uncharacteristic anger rising within her. "Why am I acting like this!? Because you never let me in, you never let me help! You just push me aside as if I am some kind of child. Well I'm not, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, I had to learn that a long time ago when you ran away from the world and hid in your room."

"Anna, I...". Elsa replied weakly, shocked by Anna's sudden outburst.

"You what!?" Anna continued, ignoring her sisters defence. "You hid in your room like a coward, because you were afraid of what people would think of you!?"

"Anna I was trying to protect you." Elsa was getting desperate, how could she be looseing her sister like this?

"No Elsa, you were just trying to protect yourself." Anna finished, turning around to storm off. However, the strange lady was still there, smiling at Anna while blocking her way.

"I think your sister has something to show you." she said, her voice kind but firm. She reached out her hand, which had begun to glow with a radiance that eclipsed all other sources of light. The glow illuminated Anna , growing so bright that she was forced to close her eyes.

She heard the voice of the woman speaking to her, not from anywhere in particular, but from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"_Ah, I see the trolls have hidden the memories of your childhood from you. Let us examine what happens if we allow you to see for yourself the pains your sister has endured._" Anna cringed as a sudden blast of light purged the magically enhanced memories from Anna's mind, allowing the the true memories of her childhood to once again surface. She remembered the summers, and playing with her sister in the magical snow, she remembered Elsa using her ice powers to allow them to skate through the castle hallways, much to the dismay of their parents. Along with the good memories came bad ones too. Anna remembered how Elsa had struggled not only to control her powers but also her emotions. How she was forced, at a very young age, to abandon her childhood and grow up long before she was ready. Anna also remembered the night when everything went wrong, the night Elsa first started shutting Anna out of her life. And now she remembered what was perhaps the most important thing about her sisters past: Why.

The light faded, leaving the three women standing in between the towering shelves of books. For what seemed like a long time no one spoke a word. Suddenly Anna turned toward her sister, tears building in her eyes.

"Elsa?"

Anna sank to the floor and sobbed, tears dropping onto the library's floor.

"Oh Elsa, why didn't you tell me?" She managed to get out in between sobs. "I never knew."

Elsa bent down, placing her arms around Anna, softly she whispered.

"You're right." Elsa sighed, "I should have let you in, but I was afraid that I would lose control again, that I would hurt you again..."

They stayed, huddled around each other for several minutes, at some point Fiona left, leaving the two sisters alone with the strange lady. The lady watched the two sisters quietly for a while longer before finally speaking again.

"_It would be best if you two were to return._" She spoke softly, "_There is still so much to be done._"

Neither one spoke a word, soundlessly they helped each other off the floor and stood opposite one another. The sisters embraced one last time, tears still wet on their faces, before turning and walking back through the doors that always seemed to lead exactly where they wanted to go. They each stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching one another, before finally stepping back into their world.

The lady turned, walking slowly down the row of books, but she never reached the end. Instead she simply, faded from view, Leaving no trace that she had ever been there at all. Her voice echoing down the hallways.

"_It is easy to overlook the importance of things closest to us._"

* * *

A head poked up from behind a pile of books, it's fox like ears perked up at a sound heard only to her. A small grin appeared on Fiona's face as she cheerily shouted to her companion.

"Flux, get your stuff, we got a new job to do!" the little fox demon could barely contain herself as she ran to one of the doors, her metal tools jingeling with a joyful sound. "This is gonna be a blast."

* * *

Anna walked through the shimmering portal, and as the light died down she found herself standing back in forest, alone.

* * *

**I am going to need your help with the next part. Yes you. Part I of the story is over, but Anna and Elsa's troubles have just begun. The question is: do you want me to keep writing on this story, or move the next act to its own, separate, story?  
**

**Let me know what you think, and as always: Thank you to every one for reading!**


End file.
